BIRDIES and BEASTIES seen in COSTA RICA!


A male green iguana in breeding colors suns in a tree overhanging the Río Sarapiquí

In late December of 2007 and January of 2008, Rutahsa Adventures organized a trip to Costa Rica. Even though we are used to tropical wildlife and birds, we were truly amazed that the number and variety of birds and animals we were able to see in a three week trip. The biological richness of Costa Rica's many parks and preserves is simply astounding. And the foresight of the Costa Ricans to give protection to some 23.8% of the national territory has proven very wise...not only are habitats and their exotic wildlife preserved, but in doing so eco-tourism has become the nation's number one earner of foreign exchange. Too bad more nations and societies don't follow Costa Rica's example.

ANIMALS SEEN ON A THREE WEEK TRIP TO COSTA RICA, WITHOUT EVEN TRYING VERY HARD!

BIRDS SEEN ON A THREE WEEK TRIP TO COSTA RICA, TRYING PRETTY HARD:

Janie is Rutahsa's chief bird watcher and this is her list of 245 species seen and identified, in taxonomic order (most of the photos are hers, too!):

One true birding thrill was to see a half-dozen quetzals. The quetzal, a member of the trogon family, is a magnificent creature. Both the male and female of the species are beautiful, but in the case of the male the plumage is truly extravagant: his head is a cockade of emerald green, and his shoulders are draped with shimmering metallic emerald green plumes that hang off him like the exaggerated epaulettes of some pompous 19th-century Central American general, while his breast is a screaming crimson. But his greatest glory are his four auxiliary tail plumes which are up to two or three feet long, emerald in color, and, serving no function other than to make him more attractive to his mate, stream behind him in flight like the tail of a horse at gallop. A truly amazing and beautiful bird-- [Photo courtesy of Costa Rican Trails.]

Thanks for visiting!

Except where otherwise indicated, photos on this website are by Janie and Ric Finch, @copyrighted.